Floor-mat.



No. 638,030. Patented Nov. 28, I899;

n1: NORRIS inns w, wm'mnum. Wumnarou, n. a

NITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SCHMITT, OF MILAN, MICHIGAN.

FLOOR-MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,030, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed August 12, 1899. Serial No. 726,989. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SCHMITT, a citizenof the United States, residing at Milan, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Floor-Mats; of which thefollowing is a specification,reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has referenceto a mat particularly designed for use in street-cars; and the object of my present invention is to providea mat for this purpose of such construction as will permit of its being readily removed from the car and which is of such construction as to allow of its being quickly cleaned.

With these objects in view my invention consists in a mat the body of which comprises a series of spaced strips and jointed couplings connecting each adjacent pair of strips to permit of the mat being folded into a compact bundle for the purpose of removal or storage.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction of the couplings and their manner of attachment to the strips, and, further, in the peculiar construction, arran gement, and combination of the various parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described and shown.

- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional perspective View of a portion of the mat, showing the means for connecting the strips together; and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of a portion of the mat, illustrating the peculiar type of connecting device employed and the manner of attaching said device to the strips.

In the drawings thus briefly described the reference-letter A designates a series of strips spaced, preferably, at equal distances from each other and arranged in parallel aline ment, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. The strips may be of any desired length, the latter being determined by the particular width of the car in which the mat is to be used, said strips being connected together by a plurality of jointed couplings B, the couplings being preferably arranged in series. In Fig. l I have shown two series of couplings as used, each series being arranged in proximity to the sides of the mat; but any number may be used and the location of the latter changed at will. In construction each coupling con-- sists of two rigid sections, the opposite ends thereof being secured to the adjacent sides of the strips and the inner or meeting ends of the couplings having a hooked engagement one within the other. The sections are preferably a screw-eye, such as a, adapted to be secured in the face or side 0 on each strip, and a staple 12, secured within the adjacent face (1 of the adjoining strip, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. The staple engages the screw-eye in theusual manner and is secured within its strip in a manner to permit of its being removed therefrom for the purpose of repair. To permit of its removal, each staple is provided with a leg at of sufficient length to extend entirely through the strip in which the staple is to be secured and toproject out some distance beyond and is threaded at its outer end to receive a nut g, which clamps .the staple in position.

In order that the mat may be made more durable, I have provided means to prevent the screw-eyes from bearing against the adjoining strips, and thus wearing holes in portions of the sides of the latter. The means I preferably employ are wear-plates h, which I interpose between each screw-eye and the adjacent strip. More particularly the wearplate is preferably rectangular in form and isprovided with an aperture 2', through which the leg d extends, and a recess j, which is adapted to receive the shorter leg of the staple, the construction and arrangement of the parts being plainly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be plainly apparent from the forma tion of the mat as shown and described that the latter may be readily folded into a compact bundle for the purpose of removal from ployed in its construction it can be readily cleaned. Likewise on account of the rigid sections employed to form the coupling and the manner of application to the strips a mat is obtained of durable construction and that may be readily repaired at small cost.

What I claim as my invention is-- In a floor-mat, the combination of two spaced strips arranged in parallel alinement, a screw-eye secured within the side of one strip, a wear plate arranged opposite the roo screw-eye upon the adjoining strip, having a bears, and a nut upon the end of the longer recess formed therein, and an aperture exstaple-leg, substantially as described. I0 tending therethrough, a staple engaging the In testimony whereof I affix my. signature screw-eye, one leg of the staple extending in presence of .two witnesses.

within the recess in the Wear-plate, and the CHARLES SOHMITT. complementary leg extending through the Witnesses: aperture in said Wear-plate and through and W. H. VVHITMARSH,

beyond the stri p againstwhich the wear-plate T. W. BARNES. 

